You're Kuzon?
by DuHSPaZZiNGFeL
Summary: As an attempt to restore peace to a war-torn world, Zuko requests Aang to do something for him. But could this short detour lead him to a little blast to a few months ago, especially when coming back to a certain school? Post-war.


**AN: I kind of came up with this odd oneshot of mine by watching the Nicktoons Network Avatar marathon this weekend, and after seeing "The Headband" again, I couldn't resist! (Plus I saw the finale again, so it inspired me.) It's a wonder how I still have so many ideas bombarding me even after the series' end. (Hint, hint!) And on another note, please tell me if these characters are too OOC. I'm trying to make them as true to the series as possible.**

**You're Kuzon?**

It all began with a simple request, or an idea for that matter: To go around the Fire Nation to teach the blooming generation about the _truth _of the one hundred year war. The war's end was young, and only completed its turn a mere three months ago, but whatever balance that needed to be restored was conducted through these little things like this so that that concept of "restoring balance to the world" started early.

"—so you being the Avatar and all, I thought that maybe it was a good idea for you to be the one who spreads the news," The Firelord had thought aloud to his friend.

"So, what? Talk to kids at schools and stuff?"

"Well, if we want to start somewhere in fixing the Fire Nation, we might as well begin with the age group that will be the first to live peacefully in over a century. And besides, you lived a hundred years ago, right? You probably know more about peace than anyone else does."

"I guess…" The Avatar tapped his chin, trying to remember what it was like to not have to worry about the world being out of balance. His childhood seemed so distant, like a lifetime ago. In this case, though, it indeed was, but it was probably more than your average lifetime. "But what if someone needs my help that day?"

"Easy," Zuko said in reply as he crossed his arms over his chest, "I'll do it."

"You've gone crazy."

Zuko raised his single eyebrow. "At least I'm not overly paranoid and shoot blue fire out of my ears."

With a sigh to break the short-lived silence he countered, "You know, you do make a good point with that one."

"I know I do." The young ruler smirked as he sensed that he had completely won over his arrow-headed companion. But he was secretly dreading being the one who was bombarded with pointless requests and opinions in the stead of him. It wasn't going to be an easy twenty-four hours. "Just make sure to act normal, you know? Try not to stand out too much."

"Right, Zuko," Aand retorted in a sarcastic manner, "Because we all know that's possible," he said, sweeping a hand over his blue arrow tattoo and Air Nomad clothing from top to bottom in one fluid motion.

He rolled his eyes at his gray-eyed friend. "I mean don't do anything that has to do with 'getting your glow on' or any 'Spirit World shenanigans'," the former prince said back using Sokka's infamous phrases for classifying Avatar-only-adventures. "It's enough that they know you're the Avatar, but remember that these people haven't seen an Avatar in over a hundred years! It might be too much of a shock or something."

"Why would I go into the Avatar State in the middle of a school courtyard?"

"I don't know, Aang. Why would you somehow sense a lion turtle in your sleep and somehow learn to spiritbend?" Aang opened his mouth in an attempt to answer back, but failed. "Same reason," Zuko answered for him, "Cosmic energy and Avatar mysteries."

"Okay, you win. Where do I go first?"

Another winning grin graced the teenager's scarred face. "You're going to start out in a Fire Nation school. I've already made arrangements for your visit." He ignored the gasp that he knew meant that Aang was surprised to hear that he knew he'd somehow get his consent even before he said he'd agree to do this. "You're going to start two days from now, so get thinking about what you want to say."

"Will do, Sifu Hotman."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just call me that."

"You go ahead and do that."

-

_Two days later…_

It was early in the morning; the Avatar noted when he first started his decent on the designated Fire Nation school. Since this was indeed a school he was going to enter, he figured that he had to be early to rise, as Zuko had wanted him to be there the entire school day to speak with any questioning teachers or students. He decided not to use Appa because he thought he should try and stay true to the Firelord's request of trying not to stand out more than he needed to. Instead, Aang opened his glider, and then subsequently jumped into the air and soared through the sky until he spotted his destination; following his friend's intricate instructions written on the map he was given before journeying off.

But when he finally made his landing, he stopped in his tracks. _Oh no_, Aang thought worriedly, _it's _this _school._

He gazed up at the familiar golden and triangular shaped symbol with three deep groves designed on it that was engraved high above the entrance door of the school and sighed in exasperation. This day was going to be more interesting than he had anticipated.

As expected, when Aang first made his steps into the school, everyone around him turned and gaped at him, staring at the Avatar who had ultimately restored peace in the war-torn world. Of course, the blue arrow on his head was a dead giveaway.

Finally reaching the door of the first classroom he was supposed to enter, he was greeted quite nicely by none other than, Ms. Kwan.

"It is an honor to have you in our presence, Avatar," she said as she bowed the bow that she had unknowingly taught him months ago by placing a fist under an open palm that faced sideways. "I assure you that our students will greet you most respectably."

Instead of responding, for he had no idea what to say to that anyway, he followed behind her as she pushed open the entrance door to the room and they entered together to a group of twinkling eyes and a couple of gasps. And there, in the front row was the recognizable curious face of his friend, On Ji. He looked towards the back and saw more familiar faces, ones that he had last saw dancing in a cave…

"This is the Avatar, class. You will greet him accordingly."

Aang's head snapped up in confusion then he realized what was going on. He didn't _have _to be treated so special!

"No, no! It's really—" he said frantically, waving his two hands in front of him.

But before he could tell the entire hoard of students to not to bother bowing and saying that it was "an honor for the Avatar to be in their presence", it was too late. They'd already stood up and done it over with.

"Uh, hello…everyone," the Avatar said hesitantly as the students took the place behind their desks and plopped down on their chairs. "I'm…I'm Avatar Aang, but you can just call me Aang."

He reveled at the fact that this entrance seemed uncannily similar to his previous entrance as Kuzon, but apparently he wasn't the only person who thought that. A student in the far back, hidden behind a pile of hardcover textbooks spied him skeptically. He rubbed his chin with his right hand and squinted chocolate brown eyes, then said suspiciously, "You seem familiar somehow."

"Shyu! That is no way to speak to an honored guest!"

Cutting in before the younger boy could apologize, Aang said, "No, it's alright ma'am." He sighed nervously, and then continued on. "And I couldn't possibly look familiar...heh."

"Well of course you do," the boy replied as if it were nothing and waving a hand. "In fact, you kind of look like that boy with the headband that disappeared months ago. I think it might be your eyes or something."

"Oh yes!" Aang turned his attention to the source of the intruding voice and was dejected to hear that it was On Ji. He hadn't wanted to be found out, and he couldn't imagine what it would be like if the students and teacher had unknowingly harbored the Avatar in their midst while the war was still raging on. "You _do _seem familiar, a lot like Kuzon."

There were generous whispers of agreement in the room, and a general idea of understanding appeared to come over some of them as a classmate suddenly decided to ask Ms. Kwan if she remembered that the Avatar was the last Air Nomad known alive, so maybe that could have something to do with that Kuzon kid who seemed to know more than what the history books told. And then Aang was really on edge when he felt the teacher herself give in. She had the air of being pulled into the idea and even partially looked suspicious.

"I suppose…" she mumbled to herself as more theories arose from the class.

"And what about the headband? I mean what else could it cover besides a scar?" One kid with a bun had come up with that theory in mere seconds and voiced it to her friends surrounding her desk.

"Do you think it could've been strange that Kuzon disappeared after two days?" another shouted, and then came "Or the fact that back then the Avatar was believed to be dead but was soon found alive when they attacked the Palace City on the eclipse?"

Then finally, the entire classroom seemed to dawn on the realization that the Avatar was still in their presence and only On Li was brave enough to speak up and ask the question everyone was dying to hear the answer to.

"Um, Avatar Aang," she said tentatively, "How old are you?"

The question caught Aang by surprise. It was honestly the most indiscriminate question anyone could ask him at a moment like this. But nonetheless, he answered straightforward, "I'm actually about the same age as you guys. I'm not even supposed to know I'm the Avatar yet!" He sighed, "I turned thirteen a month ago. Why?"

More theories circulated the room and he caught pieces of "That means he could blend in with us then," and "He's fully realized at thirteen? I'm not even a master at firebending yet!" But these soon stopped when On Ji spoke again with what seemed like more anticipation than before.

"How old are you _really_?"

This was getting a little uncomfortable. Aang knew that the stories of his, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, and Zuko's travels were moving fast, but he had no idea that this many people could know them. He decided there was no turning back anyway. He figured people would find out eventually.

"Well, I was trapped in an iceberg for one hundred years, so I guess I'm technically one hundred and thirteen."

"So you _were _there a century ago?"

"I guess…yeah. I spent my childhood with the monks in the Air Temples before…well, you know; if that's what you're asking." He had to admit that it felt kind of uncomfortable indirectly telling these Fire Nation children, who believed for so long that the Air Nomads had an army, that they were wrong. But he guessed that he had to start somewhere. At least he could now accept that his nation really was extinct except him, but he had come to realize a while ago that the love of his past friends and loved ones never really died out. He still felt it inside him and he still had Katara.

"So you _do_ know more than the history books?"

"Sure."

"And those stories of you in an iceberg are real, then?"

"Yep."

There was more uncomfortable silence that resounded within the walls, but that was easily broken in mere seconds before more whispers and murmurs broke out. Ms Kwan was curious herself so she didn't even bother to make an attempt to discipline her speculating students.

"Did the Air Nomads have a formal military?" Another brave student in the back with a tight traditional topknot asked. But it was easily answered by the Avatar with a simple, "No."

At this point, Aang wasn't really paying attention to what was going on. The conversing was getting old and he started to let his guard down little by little.

His old friend in the front row asked her final question. "What is my name?"

Not really fully understanding the question, Aang decided to answer it anyway. "You're On Ji."

Now there were gasps and widened eyes. It was a few long seconds later that Aang had completely dawned on realization. _I guess there really isn't any turning back_, he thought to himself. _I might just have to deal with being found out._

"_You're_ Kuzon?"

He sighed while raising his arms in defeat, "You caught me."

Just then, the headmaster entered the room with a bow and "It's truly an honor, Avatar Aang." But the whole class was already bustling with excitement.

"Wow! We met the Avatar before we even knew it was him!" A kid in the back exclaimed, "This is so awesome! And he even threw us a secret dance party in a cave!" He turned and grinned to Aang as he added, "Thanks by the way."

Aang barely noticed that the headmaster's eyes widened to the size of the silver saucers that usually were matted with grand and delicious mounts of food on the dining table in the Firelord's palace. "Kuh—Kuzon?!"

The Avatar laughed nervously under his breath as the students and teachers bombarded him with questions. But eventually he had gotten to the truths behind the war: the real Air Nomad culture and how they were really wiped out, Roku and Sozin's friendship and even to some of his own adventures around the world during the past year. Surprisingly, he even got to recap part of his not-so-long-ago-but-already-legendary-battle-with-Ozai.

It was a more interesting experience than he had anticipated indeed, but he had a feeling that he was about to feel remarkably like he had back a few months ago when he had been incognito as Kuzon, but more importantly he would be normal for one of those rare times in his life since he discovered his true identity as the Avatar, and for once everyone seemed to treat him like they had back then, especially when they asked if he would stick around to play a game of Hide and Explode.

"I think Zuko will find out about this one," Aang mumbled to himself before grinning widely and jumping away from a classic explosion of the game.

Little did he know that the Firelord would be covered in soot when he came back. Apparently a citizen had asked the Avatar to clean his chimney because he couldn't reach it and of course Zuko said he'd do it…


End file.
